The present invention relates to a scaffold structure positioned for accessing a corner of a construction area, a free-standing structure that can be incorporated into and used in conjunction with existing modular supports used in scaffold assembly.
Scaffolds are widely used in industrial, commercial, and residential construction settings for supporting workers and equipment. Scaffolds are erected as free-standing structures along and beside surfaces or areas where work is to be performed, allowing workers access to such surfaces or areas. Thus, scaffolds must be rigid enough to safely support workers and their equipment, yet easily assembled and disassembled
Scaffolds generally are assembled from a plurality of modular supports coupled by horizontal or diagonal braces to create frames. Secured to these frames are horizontal members, often referred to as xe2x80x9chop irons,xe2x80x9d for supporting scaffold planks. Workers can travel across these planks to access the working surface or area.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a common prior art scaffolding arrangement positioned for accessing a corner of a construction area, the intersection of two perpendicularly oriented walls. As shown in FIG. 1, the assembled scaffold comprises two modular supports 12, 14. These two supports 12, 14 are connected to one another and supported by opposing pairs of diagonal and intersecting braces 18, 20. Extending from and secured to the supports 12, 14 are three hop irons 22, 24, 26. These hop irons 22, 24, 26 provide support for two scaffold planks 28, 30 (shown in phantom) which extend into the corner of the construction area and are oriented perpendicular to one another.
This prior art scaffolding arrangement presents some attendant dangers. First and foremost, there is often a significant unsupported span between hops irons, for example, the span of the scaffold plank 28 between hop iron 22 and hop iron 24. This may cause the plank 28 to sag significantly as a worker walks along the plank 28. Secondly, due to minimal underlying support (i.e. few hop irons), if a worker were to walk to the end of a particular plank, it is possible that his weight would be sufficient to cause the opposite end of the plank to xe2x80x9ckick up,xe2x80x9d causing the worker to fall. To prevent such a xe2x80x9ckick upxe2x80x9d hazard, it is common to strap or otherwise secure the scaffold planks to the hop irons; however, this requires significantly more labor time in the assembly and disassembly of the scaffold.
Furthermore, prior art scaffolding arrangements create some accessibility problems. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, to access into the space enclosed by the modular supports 12, 14 and pairs of braces 18, 20 would require a worker to crawl through the modular supports 12, 14 or under the braces 18, 20. This could prove problematic if a worker was attempting to deliver materials to others working in the corner of the construction area.
It is therefore a paramount object of the present invention to provide a corner scaffold structure that appropriately supports workers and equipment and allows a worker to access a corner of a construction area without subjecting that worker to unnecessary danger.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a corner scaffold structure that is free-standing.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corner scaffold structure that includes double latch connectors that facilitate attachment and detachment of braces that secure the corner scaffold structure to adjacent modular supports.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corner scaffold structure that includes adjustable braces to allow for more versatility in assembling a scaffold at a particular construction site, specifically, allowing for adjustments to the span between adjacent modular supports and the corner scaffold structure.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corner scaffold structure that allows for the attachment of a diagonally oriented hop iron to the vertex of the generally isosceles triangle formed by the corner scaffold structure such that the hop iron would extend into the corner of a construction area, thereby supporting the scaffold planks at the intersection of their respective distal ends.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description.
The present invention is a corner scaffold structure preferably comprised of three vertical legs. These three legs are connected to one another at their upper distal ends by three horizontal legs which generally form a right isosceles triangle. Similarly, there are three horizontal legs connected to and joining the vertical legs near the lower distal ends thereof.
To allow for connection of braces that join the corners of the corner scaffold structure to adjacent modular supports, a plurality of rods are joined to and extend from the corner scaffold structure. In one preferred embodiment, there are at least two corresponding pairs of rods secured to and extending from each of the two outer vertical legs of the corner scaffold structure. A preferred double latch connector fits over each pair of rods and can be manipulated to attach or detach a particular brace to the corner scaffold structure.
Because of the three-dimensional geometry of the corner scaffold structure, multiple hop irons can be secured to each side of the structure to provide additional support to scaffold planks, increasing their stability. It is further contemplated that adjustable braces be used with the corner scaffold structure of the present invention in securing it to adjacent modular supports, thus allowing for more versatility in assembling a scaffold at a particular construction site, and perhaps most importantly, would allow for shortening of potentially dangerously long, unsupported spans between the corner scaffold structure and adjacent modular supports.